George Russell stated that he never considered his seat at Mercedes to be threatened during the speculations about a possible arrival of Max Verstappen. The British driver said he always had full confidence in Toto Wolff and the team.
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With Verstappen now committed to Red Bull Racing until the end of 2030, Russell assessed that the movement involving his future at Mercedes gained a bigger dimension externally than within the team itself. According to him, the subject appeared mainly in interviews and press conferences, while the internal situation was considered clear.
Russell also highlighted that the talks between Verstappen and Mercedes may have been more publicly exposed than possible negotiations the driver had with other teams, such as McLaren and Ferrari. For the British driver, this type of contact is part of the Formula 1 dynamic: “Maybe these conversations were a little more public than the conversations his team was having with McLaren or Ferrari, or any other team. That is the nature of the category. Drivers talk to different teams, teams talk to different drivers,” he said.
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Despite the speculation, Russell reinforced that he never felt insecure about his place: “My seat never seemed to be threatened and I felt 100% secure with Toto and the team. And that obviously continues now,” he added.
Lando Norris also commented on Verstappen’s stay at Red Bull and admitted that he would like to have the four-time world champion as a teammate someday: “I would accept anyone as my teammate. Of course, a guy who has won so many world championships and who is as talented as he is would always be cool to have as a teammate one day,” Norris concluded.
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